Lessons From Narnia

..."Well," said Peter, "for a long time (at least I suppose it was a long time) nothing happened. Then the door opened--" "The door?" said Tirian. "Yes," said Peter. "The door you came in--or came out-- by. Have you forgotten?" "But where is it?" "Look," Said Peter and pointed. Tirian looked and saw the queerest and most ridiculous thing you can imagine. Only a few yards away, clear to be seen in the sunlight, there stood up a rough wooden door and , round it, the frame work of the doorway: nothing else, no walls, no roof. He walked toward it, bewildered, and the others followed, watching to see what he would do. He walked round to the other side of the door. But it looked just the same from the other side: he was still in the open air, on a summer morning. The door was simply standing up by itself as if it had grown there like a tree. "Fair Sir," said Tirian to the High King, "this is a great marvel." "It is the door you came through with that Calormene fine minutes ago," said Peter smiling. "But did I not come in out of the wood into the stable? Whereas this seems to be a door leading from nowhere to nowhere." "It looks like that if you walk round it," said Peter. "But put your eye to that place where there is a crack between two of the planks and look through." Tirian put his eye to the hole. At first he could see nothing but blackness. Then, as his eyes grew used to it, he saw the dull red glow of a bonfire that was nearly going out, and above that in a black sky, stars. Then he could see dark figures moving about or standing between him and the fire: he could hear them talking and their voices were like those of Calormenes. So he knew that he was looking out through the stable door into the darkness of Lantern Waste where he had fought his last battle. He looked round again and could hardly believe his eyes. there was the blue sky overhead, and grassy country spreading as far as he could see in every direction, and his new friends all round him laughing. "It seems, then," said Tirian, smiling himself, "that the stable seen from within and the stable seen from without are two different places" "Yes," said the Lord Digory. "Its inside is bigger than its outside."... ..."[The Dwarfs are] still here." Said Lucy, "In fact you can see them from here. And I've tried and tried to make friends with them but it's no use. Do come and see them. King Tirian, perhaps you could do something with them." "I can feel no great love for Dwarfs today," said Tirian. "Yet at your asking, Lady, I would do a greater thing than this." Lucy led the way and soon they could all see the Dwarfs. They had a very odd look. They weren't strolling about or enjoying themselves (although the cords with which they had been tied seemed to have vanished) nor were they lying down and having a rest. They were sitting very close together in a little circle facing one another. They never looked round or took any notice of the humans till Lucy and Tirian were almost near enough to touch them. Then the Dwarfs all cocked their heads as if they couldn't see anyone but were listening hard and trying to guess by the sound what was happening. "Look out!" said one for them in a surly voice. "Mind where you're going. Don't walk into our faces!" "All right!" said Eustace indignantly. "We're not blind. We've got eyes in our heads." "They must be darn good ones if you can see in here." said the Dwarf who's name was Diggle. "In where?" asked Edmund. "Why you bone-head, in here of course," said Diggle. "In this pitch-black, poky, smelly little hole of a stable." "Are you blind?" said Tirian "Ain't we all blind in the dark!" said Diggle. "But it isn't dark, you poor stupid Dwarfs," said Lucy. "Can't you see? Look up! Look round! Can't you see the sky and the trees and the flowers? Can't you see me?" "How in the name of all Humbug can I see what ain't there? And how can I see you any more than you can see me in this pitch darkness?" "But I can see you," said Lucy. "I'll prove I can see you. You've got a pipe in your mouth." "Anyone that knows the smell of baccy could tell that." said Diggle. "Oh the poor things! This is dreadful," said Lucy. Then she had an idea. She stooped and picked some wild violets. "Listen, Dwarf," she said. "Even if your eyes are wrong, perhaps your nose is all right: can you smell that?" She leaned across and held the fresh, damp flowers do Diggles ugly nose. But she had to jump back quickly in order to avoid a blow from his hard little fist. "None of that!" he shouted. "How dare you! What do you mean by shoving a lot of filthy stable litter in my face? There was a thistle in it too. It's like your sauce! And who are you , anyway?" "Earth-man" said Tirian, "she is the Queen Lucy, sent hither by Aslan out of the deep past. And it is for her sake alone that I, Tirian your lawful King, do not cut all your heads from your shoulders, proved and twice-proved traitors that you are." "Well if that doesn't beat everything!" exclaimed Diggle. "How can you go on talking all that rot? Your wonderful Lion didn't come and help you , did he? Thought not. And now--even now-- when you've been beaten and shoved into this black hole, just the same as the rest of us, you're still at your old game. Starting a new lie! Trying to make us believe we're none of us shut up, and it aint' dark, and heaven knows what." "There is no black hole, save in your own fancy, fool," cried Tirian . "Come out of it." ~Excerpt from The Last Battle, By C.S. Lewis~

...........................

I've been digging myself deeper. Its easy to do. I've been tired, depressed, disappointed, looking at everything I was missing, or that had been taken away. Like the Dwarfs in "The Last Battle," when they were tied up and thrown into the stable. They believed what they thought in their mind should be true. That nothing good could happen from their situation. No matter what happened, or what good things were given to them or offered, they wouldn't have it. Aslan had prepared a beautiful place for them to enjoy, but they blinded themselves to his goodness. They took Aslan's blessings and turned them into a curse, making themselves miserable, when they could have been enjoying their king's presence. It was their own fault. I've been doing the same thing. Since being home, the few doors that seemed open, quickly shut. I felt closed in, cornered, and cheated out of the blessings and pleasures I thought I deserved. I was shut in the stable, and to me, it was just that. Empty, dirty, smelly, with no way out. In stead of crying for help to The One who could open my eyes and show me the truth, I sat in the mire of self-pity and distrust biding my time in the prison of my mind. But my King, The One who loves me, pursues me, and gives me all, even when I lose faith in Him, was not content to let me stay there. In reality - THE TRUTH - is, that I am not in a stable at all! He has brought me to a beautiful place, a place He prepared just for me. A place where I can know Him better, deeper, more intimately. (Phil. 3:10) But more than that, (as if that is not blessing enough) just because He loves me, He has many, many, unspeakable pleasures and blessings for me in this place. I may not see them now, but they are there for me to discover in surprise at just the right moment of His chosing. Each one better than the last, as I follow Him "further up and further in" to fellowship with Him and His plan for my life. His richness and pleasure and all perfect things are mine. Here in this place where He has lovingly brought me.

"The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, ... the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

~Eph. 1:17, 23~

Oklahoma Part 10: Saying Goodbye

Walking into Hawthorne Elementary on Monday morning, I'm greeted by eager smiles and waves by students and teachers alike. It is not unusual to receive several hugs from the kids who go out of their way to cross my path as I walk to my first class of the morning. Similar greetings await at Shidler on Tuesday, Eugene Fields on Wednesday and Central Oak on Friday. But do I really make a difference? Will these kids remember me only as the lady who played recess with them, or the one who did fun stuff in class so they could have a break from academics? Am I really making a difference in their lives, or do they accept the appearance of Character First only as a welcome break in the middle of the school day? In even 5 short years when they are in high school, will they remember anything we've taught them? Will they live their life differently because of anything they have seen? When they see me, do they see Christ? Cesar, a third grade boy stands out from the crowd of kids at Wednesday's Bible Club. His jet black hair and mischievous brown eyes glimmer with a grin as he dashes through the door, flashing a smile at me while I grin back. He came early one Wednesday, which gave us opportunity to talk. I'm not quite sure how the conversation started, but he asked about Miss. Sarah, a friend of mine and an intern for the past 6 sessions. In our communications via email she had asked about Cesar. Did he still come to club? How is he? Has he received Christ?



My Bible club team

As Cesar and I talked about Miss. Sarah and why she was not able to be here this session, the conversation was peppered with statements like, "I miss Miss. Sarah! Why can't she come back?" and, "Is she ever coming back again?" Why was he so intent on seeing someone he only saw once a week for an hour and a half during the school year? It is the love of Christ we demonstrate. Something I have to remind my self of again and again. It is not what I do but what He does. It is not what I show them, but what He shows them through me. It is not what I say, but what He whispers into their hearts So, do I make a difference? When I leave will that difference remain? No, I don't make a difference. It is the love of Christ I bring that effects lives. It doesn't matter if I come back next session, or if Miss. Sarah comes back. All that matters is that the kids saw the love of Christ. We may not see the fruit of our labors here on earth. But I pray the Word that goes out masked through character during classes at school, or openly through Bible club takes root in their lives, that through it they may learn to love the one who loves them unconditionally.

"That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height, to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." ~Ephesians 3:17-19

Oklahoma Part 9: Things I've Learned

While at In The Gap, I have learned,
* That preschoolers get excited about anything you are excited about -- even a cotton ball... to the demise of a particular object lesson...
* That sleep is over rated, you can survive on much less than they say
* That playing hot-potato with a group of k-1st grade boys, turns into a 'who can throw the bean bag farthest and get it first' contest.
* That to survive at In The Gap, you must know three things: how to play ultimate Frisbee, how to play Oshka, and how to play Settlers of Cattan
* How to plan for a 25 minute lesson in 5 minutes or less (And yes, it actually happens!)
* That if you tell a class you will walk out early if they don't behave, you have to be prepared to do it
* How gift wrap bows are like attentiveness, a sea bag is like obedience, and dominoes are like truthfulness
* That no matter how busy your day is, you can always find time to memorize a scripture verse
* That kids remember you for the smallest thing you notice them for
* That the teachers are watching you too!
* The worst kids in your class are the ones you will miss the most
* That no matter how hard you try, you will always have a pile of things in your room to take back to the warehouse
* That sometimes the most vital part of a Bible club lesson is not telling the kids about Jesus, but showing his love to them
* That newsletter stories are not always the grand and glorious things you hope they will be, but more often than not they will be whispers of hope and glimmers of God's goodness He hides in your path for you to find and rejoice in as you realize his love for you

Oklahoma Part 8: Fun Times!

I was looking over my posts about Oklahoma and realized that they are all very serious and solemn. Sure, there were times like that, but the majority of my time there was spent laughing with friends as we were learning. So, this post is dedicated to all the fun times! Enjoy :)

 

The hike through tick infested woods

 

Having Catherine around to make us smile

Acting like pre-schoolers during a lesson practicum! 
Sorry, Jane Ann and Crysendrea... well, not really ;)

A whole day of thrift store shopping!

Beating Camellia in verses by two whole seconds!  (this picture has aboslutely nothing to do with memory work, but we are standing in front of our favorite building in the city, the Library!)

Snack sales at C.O.

Braums!
 An ice cream place reminiscent of Cooks in Michigan. We made, probably to many, memories here including Esther and I buying a whole carton of ice cream instead of a cone, then sawing at it with plastic knives so we could eat it...

  

Shopping at the Chinese market ...

Watching Jeriah cook...

And eating an authentic Chinese dinner :)

Inside Jokes ;)

Sightseeing in the city

Visiting the Horse Farm!
The two self proclaimed 'hicks' enjoyed themselves immensely, though there was a brief
 dispute over who got to ride shot gun...

Trying object lessons on each other

Beating all the boys at arm wrestling!

Pipe cleaners, pipe cleaners, and more pipe cleaners ;)

Walking around school looking like Noah's ark

Watching the kids 'snap to' when I walked into the room
looking like this and talking like a drill sargent, then watching their
faces when I made Camellia do push ups!

Wow, I think I'll stop there, but did I convince you? I promise, we had fun!

Oklahoma Part 7: Whiz Kids



The story of Joseph

Tuesdays were busy days! A full day of teaching at the hardest school of the week, Bible Club immediately afterwards, then rush back to the training center with just enough time (sometimes) to scarf down dinner, then Camellia and I were off to teach Bible time at Whiz kids. Whiz kids is a Christian tutoring program sponsored by a church. The kids are paired up, one on one, with a tutor. After tutoring they come together for Bible time. That is where Camellia and I come in. Bible time is like large group at a CI or VBS. We taught the kids songs, would maybe play some quick large group games, then give a Bible lesson. Teaching Whiz kids was probably my favorite part of being in Oklahoma City. We didn't have a set curriculum to teach, we could be as creative as we possibly could, and we could talk about God all we wanted! The best conglomeration of requirements you could possibly have to teach under! The part that made it interesting was that, there were only two of us for skits, which meant we had fun including the kids in the lessons too, and also, even though we were roommates, with everything else on our plates, we seldom had time to plan very much before it was time to teach. We learned to be flexible and play off each other very well! During our 5 minute planning sessions over dinner, or, even occasionally in the car on the way to teach, the Lord blessed us with some amazing ideas and inspirations! All the glory goes to Him, it truly was not us! Some of our crazy ideas were; Daniel and the Lion's Den - standing alone, Jesus calming the storm - The peace that Jesus gives, Amy Carmichael - trusting God through seeming unanswered prayer and in difficult situations (that one turned out really well!), the story of Joseph - Being faithful in the little things (That one was fun! We actually took turns narrating and acting all the parts, switching hats to signal a change of character.) Gideon - Trusting God, even when things seem impossible, The story of a Jewish boy and a Roman soldier - Going the extra mile and loving your enemies. All of the lessons were a blast to teach, but my favorite lesson was the story of creation! We used a technique that Camellia used before in a class she taught at home. For each day of creation we had something edible that represented the things that were created on that day. For instance, light and darkness - an Oreo, separating the land and water - blue jello, animals - gummy bears and animal crackers, etc. For each day we had some of the kids try the food we brought to represent that day's creation, then ask, 'Is it good?' They would nod. Then, 'God said it was good too!' To make it a bit more interesting, Camellia and I looked up some facts about what God made on each day. It left us staggered at God's greatness! Here's a bit of what we learned... 

• If you could travel at the speed of light, you could go around the earth 7.5 times in one second. God created light.
• The heart of the blue whale is the size of a Volks Wagon, a man can easily swim through one of its blood vessels
• God made over 20,000 types of fish!
• God gave Fish, native to the Antarctic, antifreeze chemicals in their blood
• A chameleon's tongue is twice the length of its body. God taught it how to keep it from getting tangled!
• A newborn kangaroo is only 1 inch in length, but when it is grown, it can cover up to 30 feet in a single bound!
• While a baby kangaroo is that small at birth, some newborn giraffes are taller than 6 feet!
• A brown bat can catch 1,200 mosquito sized insects in 1 hour without using its eyes.
• A wood pecker pecks 20 times per second. It has shock absorbers behind its beak, and closes its eyes every time it pecks so it's eyes don't pop out from the sheer force of the pecking.
• God made a lion's roar so powerful, that it can be heard up to 5 miles away!
• How about being frozen solid, thawed, then continued life? God created frogs that have that capability!
• The fastest bird is the Spine-tailed swift, clocked at speeds of up to 220 miles per hour
• The giant squid is the largest creature without a backbone. It weighs up to 2.5 tons and grows up to 55 feet long. Each eye is a foot or more in diameter
• The Pacific Giant Octopus, the largest octopus in the world, grows from the size of pea to a 150 pound behemoth potentially 30 feet across in only two years, its entire life-span
• In contrast, The pygmy shrew - a relative of the mole - is the smallest mammal in North America. It weighs 1/14 ounce - less than a dime!
• There are around 2,600 different species of frogs. They live on every continent except Antarctica

And I haven't even started! What about the wonder of the human body, or even a single cell ?Who says there is no God? Who dares to say we originated from a pile of goo? Sorry, but that idea is just plain dumb!

Oklahoma Part 6: "Sunday School"

Growing up in a Christian home in America, I had the presupposition that everyone basically knew who God was. Everyone had at least heard a few stories of how Jesus fed multitudes, brought people to life, walked on water and calmed a storm. Hadn't they? After all, we do live in a Christian nation, no matter what people may try to tell you. In the inner city there were many churches, and we drove past The Salvation Army mission almost every day on our way to school. The opportunity to hear about God and His message to us was every where. Every one had at least heard about it, right? That mindset was about to be challenged. It is a sunny Sunday afternoon in Oklahoma City. As the team walks thorough the housing complex knocking on doors inviting children to afternoon Sunday school, we gather a small grouping and wait for the church bus to pick us up. It is an excited, noisy, rambunctious group of children we have with us! Talking, laughing, and begging Chad to go fast over the speed bumps on the short ride to the church. He fulfills their request with a smile! The first thing the kids do when we reach the church is beg to play "What Time is it Mr. Fox?" As much as we played that game, I'm not sure they ever quite got the hang of it, but it did help get the wiggles out! Singing songs, learning verses, and the Bible lesson were on the docket as well, right before a pizza dinner and prayer meeting with the "big church." My favorite memories of "Sunday School" were the times after the Bible lesson I had opportunity to share the salvation message with the kids who were interested in learning more. We use the wordless book when we do this, a book with colors instead of words. The first page is gold. It reminds us of heaven, and of God, who lives in heaven. "Do you know who God is?" I'll ask. Usually they say yes. and have a basic understanding of who He is, but other times they have no idea! God, who He is, His ways, and His plan for us are a completely foreign concept to some of the kids! It is amazing to watch their faces as you tell them about God, how much He loves them and how much it grieves Him to see them sin. They don't question how it is, or ask why He lets less than ideal situations into their life. With their child like faith, they believe, and love the one who loved them first. With wonder and adoration in their eyes, they pray from their heart.

"How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? ...How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things."

~Romans 10:14-15

Oklahoma Part 5: Bible Club

 Twice each week we would rush home from school, dump our school supplies, change our cloths, re-pack our bags with Bible club supplies (for me, that meant lots and lots of pipe cleaners!) and rush right back out the door for Bible club. Between game time, sword drills, small group activities, scripture memory, songs, and the Bible lesson by way of skits, and helping with home work, Bible club was a highlight of the week! At the Tuesday club I had a group of k-1st grade boys. On Wednesday, I had a team of 2nd-3rd grade boys. It is amazing how close you get to the kids just by seeing them once a week for a couple of hours! But no matter how much we tried to teach them truths from the Bible, it seemed we were always the ones learning the lessons....

.....Skits are amazing! When I attended Vacation Bible School as a child, or any other time for that matter, the skits were always my favorite part! Being in the skits are even better! But the week it was my turn to present the Bible lesson during large group at Bible club, I was actually pretty worried about it. I'm fine with teaching the lesson, but I did not feel like I had adequate time to prepare for it. (Jesus calming the storm) Actually, I prepared the night before... (I do not recommend doing that!)

While I was preparing the lesson, something stood out to me. When the disciples were caught in the storm and battling the wind and waves, Jesus was asleep in the back of the boat. Did He not want to help His disciples? Of course He did, but they didn't realize how much they needed Him until they realized they couldn't do it on their own and asked for His help. They could have asked sooner, they could have asked as soon as they saw the storm clouds gathering, but no, they waited until they thought they would perish at sea. How many times am I in the midst of a storm, no matter how small, and fight till my strength is gone before I ask Jesus to calm the sea? Feeling very unprepared to teach, I quickly asked the Lord to calm my heart as He calmed the sea that day. He does answer prayer! I ended up teaching that particular lesson three times last week. At the first Bible club, I had the honor of leading a little girl to Jesus, at the second Bible club that week, after the lesson, I had the honor of telling Anthony about the peace that Jesus gives in forgiveness of sins. As I explained to him how Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for our sins, he looked troubled, but when I told him how Jesus didn't stay dead, that he conquered death and sin, his eyes got wide, and a joyful grin spread over his face! He, too, prayed and accepted the gift of forgiveness that Jesus holds out to each of us. I was able to give him a Bible (which he treasures!) and challenge him to read at least 2 verses each day. Later that week, his small group leader told me what happened later that afternoon. He came up to her and said 'I talked to that lady, we were talking about sin and I prayed!' 'who's child are you now?' she asked him. 'God's!' he replied. 'How do you know?' she asked again. 'Because He changed me,' he answered, 'I know He changed me!' Praise the Lord for the work He does in hearts that are open! The fields truly are white and ready for the harvest.